Improvement in identifying-stamps



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F'LG 6 I INVENTOR dommm'rloN TICKET To V JOSE lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

GEORGE PARDY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. f

IMPROVEMENT IN IDENTIFVING-STAMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 119,715, dated October 10, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE PARDY, ofthe city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a certain new and Improved Identifying-Ticket and Adhesive Identifying- Stamp, of which the following is a speciiication:

My invention relates to an improved manner of marking tickets for railway and other uses, stamping bankers checks, bills of exchange, money-orders, letters, parcels, certificates of all kinds, Src., where it may be desirable to establish the identity of the rightful owner.

In the accompanying drawing, I give six examples of' my improved system, all of which are constructed upon the same general principle, though materially differing in matter of design.

Figure l represents a non-transferable season admission-ticket-an appropriate desi gn for fairs, &c. Fig. 2 is another form of admission-ticket given to further illustrate the principle. Fig. 3 shows my adhesive identifying-stamp and its application-another form of operating the principle. Fig. 4 illustrates an admission-ticket, differ-ing only from the others in constructive design. Fig. 5 is an example of a ferry season-ticketanother design embodying the same principles as before, and Fig. 6 gives a compact and suitable design for a railway commutation-ticket. Fig. 7 shows a tool suitable for marking tickets as in Fig. l.

I will now describe iny-system in detail, so that my invention may be thoroughly understood, and afterward I will point out what I consider is new and improved therein. It will be sufficient if I am precise in describing one or two of the examples in the drawing, for, as I have said, each example embodies the same principle, and it will be needless for me to proceed further than is necessary to thoroughly convey the idea of the invention.

Fig. l is a season admission-ticket, which I may state is a fac-simile of one already operated with successfully. On the upper margin there are the figures 1, 2, 3, appearing three times, each time in a different-colored ink, or, in some respect, diHerentl'y-appearing character. In the example the first set of figures 1, 2, 3 is printed a deep black, the second set is printed a light skeleton character, and the last set of figures is what is termed hatched or cross-hatched. As will be seen, no two figures are the same height,

each being smaller than the preceding one, coinmencing with the tallest figure, l, at the left. The separate sets, of three figures each, are divided by the two vertical lines. These characters are set in the printers form and are printed at the saine time the ticket itself is struck off. lVhen lithographed or engraved the characters will enter as part of the design of the ticket, and will be printed with the remainder of the ticket at one operation, excepting when it is chosen to use different colors in the design. These characters, which are to be printed with the ticket, I will designate as base-signs, to distinguish them from another sign, which I will term my operating-sign,7 and which I shall presently describe.

For the base-signs in the example,'Fig. l, I have formed an arbitrary key, which gives to each figure and sets of figures some especial significance relating' to the chief peculiarities of personal appearances of both males and females, as, for instance, the peculiarity of heights, ages, complexions, cuts of face-hair in nien, Ste. The key may be explained as follows: The figures l indicate a mustache, the figures 2 denote a chin beard, and the gures 3 signify side whiskers; and the spaces between these figures can mean clean shaven or without face-hair. I allow the first compartment of figures to the left to indicate dark-complexioned men, the middle coinpartment light-complexioned men, and the end compartment to the right gray-complexioned` men. The iirst vertical line to the left shall sigiiify dark-complexioned women, and the other vertical line shall mean light-coinplexioned women, while both lines together shall indicate gray-coniplexioned women. Each figure, cominencin g at the smallest figure, 3, to the right, will be assigned two other meanings, relating to heights and ages: thus the smallest figure 3 shall mean four feet ten inches high and fourteen years old, each preceding figure in order indicatingtwo inches increased height and eight years increased age, making the first and tallest figure l to denote six feet two inches for height and seventy-eight years for age.

Now, understanding the foregoing meanings to be given to the base-signs, we have only to indicate by some simple means which signs have value and meaning descriptive of the appearance of the person to whom the ticket is to be issued,

' plexions.

and we at once establish upon the face of the ticket that persons identity.

We now come to the operating-sign, so called for lack of more appropriate terni, and because it is the only sign required to be marked upon the ticket at the time of issuing the same. Still referring to the example as in Fig. 1,I provide a neat and simple stamping-tool, as in Fig. 7, giving an impression similar to the heavy dash of printers type, about the size as shown in drawing. A suitable inking-pad must be at hand with which to charge the tool with printers ink. It is a simple matter now, being thus provided, to give the impression of the tool over, under, and through or between the base-signs. When I strike an impression of my operating-tool over a iigure I adopt its assigned value to indicate the persons height. When I strike an impression under a gure in like manner I have indicated approximately the persons age. WVhen I impress the operating-sign through or between the base-signs the indications are as may be translated by reference to the adopted key previously given.

According to the ioregoing, and referring to Fig. 1, Charles P. Lyons, to whom the ticket has been issued, is described as a male person, dark mustache and chin beard, five feet ten inches in height, and approximately iifty-four years old. For the purposes of this ticket such a description may be considered sufficiently elaborate, and if the operator bc in fair practice 11e may soon attain great accuracy in his descriptions.

In the second figure of the drawing there are the vertical and horizontal crossed lines printed in the upper right-hand corner ofthe ticket represented. These will be the base-signs, and will be printed with the ticket. The operating-signs, to be impressed upon the ticket when it is issued, will, in this case, be the figures 0, l, 2, 3--0 meaning no face-hair, l meaning mustache, 2 meaning chin beard, and 3 meaning side whiskers. Some one or more of these figures or operatingsigns will occur on the lowest horizontal line when a small or short man is described. They will occur on the middle horizontal line when a man of middle height is indicated, and they will be found impressed on the top horizontal line when a tall person is identified. Again, the same signs will be found upon the irst, second, or third vertical line and accordingly denote if the person to whom the ticket is issued is youn'g, middle-aged, or old. The color of the figures or operating-signs may be made to denote com- This design is not given as one desirable to adopt, for it is neither as simple or effective as the design in Fig. 1, and it is only given to illustrate that more than one operating-sign may be used and have significance irrespective of the position occupied with relation to the base signs.

Fig. 3 is a bankers check, in the middle ofthe left-hand margin of which is represented one of my adhesive identifying-stamps. These stamps may, like the tickets, have any arbitrary design and be made to give more or less elaborate def be sold in convenient places.

scription. They may be printed in sheets of, say one hundred in a sheet, like postage-stamps, and Their operation is intended to be as follows: Persons using them will provide themselves with stamps properly identifying them. Each differing stamp having a title number on its margin, it will be easy to designate which of the series may be required when purchasing.

When a person desires to establish his identity upon any article, as documents, certificates, letters, bank-checks, ctc., he has only, under proper process, to affix or cause to be affixed one of his identitication-stamps, and if the stamp be properly designed it will answer as good a purpose as though his photograph had been used.

A proper process of aflixing the stamps must always be carefully observed, otherwise they may be removed and replaced by others without the fact being' detected. A key for aseries of stamps, of which the one in the drawing maybe supposed to have been taken, may be as follows: Gomplexions are denoted by the body color of the stamp, as red for dark complexion, yellow for light complexions, and blue for gray complexions. The out of the face-hair will be denoted by the figures 0 l 2 3, with meaning as in previous examples. The persons age may be approximately indicated by the position of these figures relative to any of the vertical lines; as, for instance, for young men the figures will be marked on the bottom, for middle-aged men in themiddle, and for old men at the top of the vcrtical lines. In similar manner a persons build may be denoted by the position of these saine iiguresrelative to the horizontal lines, and they will be found printed on the left hand, inthe middle, or to the right, according as the stamp identilies a lean, average, or stout-built man. If a man is slightly bald-headed one square inclosed by the .horizontal and vertical lines will be left blank, as in example; if he be very bald, two squares will be blank 5 and if he has a full head ofhair, there will be no blank spots in the body color ofthe stamp. The position of the title number in the margin (1723 in the example) can be made to indicate the persons height. If it be under the lowest short horizontal line the height of four feet eight inches will be indicated, and as it is elevated in its position it will have increased value, and will signify a height of six feet two inches if it be placed above the top horizontal line, thus having an increased value or two inches for every line below the number. Where it stands in the example, :live feet ten inches is indicated. Translating the stamp accor-ding to the foregoing key, we tind it identifies a man of dark complexion, middle aged, lean or of slight build, having a mustache, chin beard, and side whiskers, five feet ten inches high, and slightly bald-headed.

These stamps', when they are to be placed on letters to insure them being delivered to the proper persons, are simply aiiixed to the envelope as are postage-stamps, and thus a means is oii'ered in cases of doubt of identifying the owner.

Thus John Smith the barber continually receives, opens, and reads the letter of John Smith the banker, a widely-differing men in appearance. To avoid this annoyance Smith the banker sends to his correspondents a few of his identifyingstamps, and afterward his letters will arrive with these stamps affixed to them. rlhe post-office clerk will recognize, as it were, his photograph, or, at least, his description, more or less complete, and will not deliver the letter to any other John Smith.

When applying the stamp to a check it will be necessary to follow this process: The drawer Oi the check receives the identifying-stamp of the person to whom he pays it, affixes it to the check, and then cancels over it with a proper cancelingstamp, as shown in Fig. 3-this to insure detection in case the stamp is removed. Banking clerks and others will, with slight practice, understand the key to the stamp, and be enabled to translatel their meaning easily and with great rapidity.

Fig. 4 is substantially a similar ticket to that shown in Fig. l, vertical lines taking the place of the figures or numerals, and the operatingsign is made by a pair of common ticket-nippers. Fig. 5 is an effective and simple design. The two lines to the left will be punched with nippers, and heights and ages will be indicated; and as some one of the three lines to the right are punched the complexion and cut of face-hair will be known.

Fig. Gis a compact and simple design for a railway commutation or season-ticket. The key may be as follows: The heavy black vertical line will be punched to distinguish dark complexions, the middle light line will be punched for light complexions, and the cross-hatched line to the right will be punched to identify gray complexions. These several lines will bepunched at the top if the person identified has a mustache, in the middle if he has a beard, and at the bottom if he has side whiskers. If he has a smooth face or is clean shaven, punch near but not through .the line. The height may be indicated by punching some one ofthe little vertical lines on the upper margin, and the age may be shown by punching the vertical lines on the lower margin, the values of each line being given on the drawing.

The operation of all the tickets will be substantially as follows: Referring to example, Fig. 6 1'. E. Winters buys a ticket from the railroad company; the clerk identifies him as a man live feet high,'nearly twenty-live years old, light complexion, with mustache and side whiskers; the clerk marks the ticket to correspond, and if the ticket should at any time be passed into the hands oil any other person of different appearance, and be presented to the conductor he can immediately detect the transfer, and will act in the case according to his instructions.

It will be proper for me to refer to a system of marking tickets proposed by one P. W. Hardwick, of England, in 1856, June 12, No. 1,391 of British Patent-Office Reports, and to point out wherein my invention is different and improved upon his. Hardwicks system is stated to be, in his published speciiication, exactly as follows: At the time his tickets are issued he proposes to print or stamp upon them, with the agency of certain printing or stamping-presses specially adapted for the purpose, certain arbitrary signs to indicate personal peculiarities. He does not previously prepare his tickets by any process whatever, and it is a part of his plan that he shall be provided with sets of dies or stampers,77 which shall require arranging in proper combination every time a ticket is issued.

My manner of proceeding is not like this of Hardwicks, excepting that we both use signs; and I offer an improvement in the manner of applying the signs, which I claim alone gives success to the plan. These are some of the points of difference and improvement I make upon Hardwicks system. I arrange my plan as to avoid all special apparatus liable to get out of order or repair. I operate, in marking my tickets, with the least possible expenditure of time, in consequence of my plan only requiring one die to be brought into use at the time of issuing the ticket. I avoid all expense save the inconsidcrable cost of some simple marking-tool, as a stamp, nippers, a pen or pencil; and, finally, owing to introducing the so-called base signs, I can operate in all respects in a simpler and more effective manner.

The application and manner of constructing my adhesive identifying-stamp I believe to be new and useful, and it, like the tickets of my invention, involves the principle of base signs, which are the horizontal and vertical lines as described. It is an entirely new article of manufacture.

I do not claim a ticket having signs impressed upon it which do not obtain meaning from their position or their relation to any other signs upon the ticket, for such a system Hardwick has suggested; but

What I claim as my invention is as follows:

The use of a so-called operating-sign, which shall dependA for its value or meaning upon its position or relation to the base-signs, as and for the purposes as herein set forth.

GEORGE PARDY.

Witnesses:

JOHN D. HOOKER, GEORGE BRowNE. 

